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1 - What Makes Jews Jewish?

from Part I - Judaism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 March 2022

David Patterson
Affiliation:
University of Texas, Dallas
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Summary

If the Jews were the target of the Nazis’ extermination project, we must ask: Why the Jews? Who are the Jews? What makes them Jews? One premise for this investigation, as already stated, is that Judaism is the key to the connections between antisemitism and the Holocaust that it spawned. Therefore these reflections on the connections among Judaism, antisemitism, and the Holocaust begin with the Judaism that makes Jews Jewish, which is the focus of the first chapter. The key to the matter of who is a Jew is Judaism. Whether a particular Jew is reform, orthodox, or atheist, his or her identity as a Jew ultimately stems from Judaism, from the Covenant of Torah: Without the Torah, there would be no Jews. The Covenant of Torah comes with certain categories of thought, beginning with the categories of creation, revelation, and redemption. It comes with a certain teaching and testimony concerning God, world, and humanity. The Jewish people signify that teaching and testimony by their very presence in the world.

Type
Chapter
Information
Judaism, Antisemitism, and Holocaust
Making the Connections
, pp. 11 - 33
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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  • What Makes Jews Jewish?
  • David Patterson, University of Texas, Dallas
  • Book: Judaism, Antisemitism, and Holocaust
  • Online publication: 24 March 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009103848.003
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  • What Makes Jews Jewish?
  • David Patterson, University of Texas, Dallas
  • Book: Judaism, Antisemitism, and Holocaust
  • Online publication: 24 March 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009103848.003
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • What Makes Jews Jewish?
  • David Patterson, University of Texas, Dallas
  • Book: Judaism, Antisemitism, and Holocaust
  • Online publication: 24 March 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009103848.003
Available formats
×